22 Facts About WH Smith

WHWH Smith is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.

The younger W H Smith used the success of the firm as a springboard into politics, becoming a Member of Parliament in 1868 and serving as a minister in several Conservative governments.

In 1966, WHWH Smith originated a nine-digit code for uniquely referencing books, called Standard Book Numbering or SBN.

WHWH Smith owned the American record chain The Wall, which was sold to Camelot Music in 1998.

WH Smith reacted to this by disposing of its overseas subsidiaries and its publishing business Hodder Headline, in order to concentrate on reforming its core businesses.

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In October 2013, WHWH Smith announced that it had bought the ModelZone brand and would sell products under this brand through existing WHWH Smith shops.

In October 2014, WHWH Smith announced as part of its preliminary statement that it was planning on extending its greetings card offering by launching the low-price brand Cardmarket on a trial basis.

WH Smith announced in late 2018 that the trial of Cardmarket would be wound up, with the closure of the Cardmarket stores.

In 2018, WHWH Smith acquired the brand InMotion, the largest airport-based electronics retailer in the USA.

WHWH Smith founded one of the UK's earliest cable television channels, Lifestyle, which was carried on almost every cable system in the UK and Ireland prior to the start of Sky Television in 1989.

WHWH Smith operate a number of shops within hospitals, following its acquisition of Yorkshire-based newsagent chain United News in March 2008.

WH Smith retains one shop on Rue de Rivoli in the centre of Paris, France.

WHWH Smith operated shops in the United States from 1985 until 2003, primarily in airports.

WH Smith acquired Australian and New Zealand subsidiaries in 2001, which were subsequently disposed of, along with those in Hong Kong International Airport and in Singapore at Changi Airport, in 2004 (now Times Travel under the Times Bookstore banner).

WHWH Smith is currently in the process of planning 30 kiosk shops in China.

In 2009, WHWH Smith opened two shops in Shannon Airport, County Clare, Ireland.

WHWH Smith opened four branches in Helsinki Airport, Finland in late 2016 and early 2017.

On 19 June 2009, WHWH Smith apologised after promoting a book on cellar rapist Josef Fritzl as one of the "Top 50 Books for Dad" as a Father's Day gift.

In October 2012, WHWH Smith faced criticism from shooters after the sale of shooting magazines to children under 14 was banned, although it is legal for children under 14 to go shooting.

On 14 October 2013, WHWH Smith took their website offline because "unacceptable titles were appearing on their website".

In May 2018, WHWH Smith apologised after it was revealed that it had made more than £700 by selling single tubes of toothpaste for £7.

The price was described as an 'error' and WHWH Smith promised that the proceeds from the sales would be donated to a local charity.